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In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Sheffield United striker Dean Windass has been discussing how Harry Kane would fare at Manchester City.

The England captain has continuously been linked with a move away from North London in recent seasons – especially with Jose Mourinho’s side currently sitting in the lower regions of the top half of the Premier League and facing the prospect of being out of the Champions League for another season.

Despite Spurs’ inconsistencies, Kane is enjoying another splendid campaign in front of goal, and took his tally to 22 in all competitions following his goal against Burnley last weekend.

But with Sergio Aguero still struggling with ongoing injury problems, and Gabriel Jesus not scoring the goals in his absence, Kane would be an outstanding signing for the Premier League leaders this summer, providing they manage to convince him to leave Tottenham.

Asked how many goals Kane, who is rated at £108m by Transfermarkt, would score for Manchester City, Windass told FFC exclusively:

“Aguero is probably coming to the end of it now. You’re talking 30+ goals.

“It’s a situation where it’s like riding a bike, you know where the back of the net is, the goals don’t move. Harry Kane would get 30+ goals in a breath, in a breath.

“So, the only question on anybody’s lips is do they want to pay £150m, Tottenham and Daniel Levy are probably asking for £200m the way the market is. What Man City want to pay it? If they do, it’s nailed on for me.

“I was with Nicky Summerbee the other day and Nicky said to me ‘to keep Man City on top of that list of Champions League football and winning the Champions League every year, you have to buy Harry Kane’. And if they want to do that, then you’ve got to stump up the money. And they’ve got the money. So why not go get him?”

Windass’ comments here don’t come as a great surprise. Kane has been one of the most prolific goalscorers in European football over the previous seven seasons and has already entered the top-10 all-time scorers in the Premier League even before his 28th birthday.

With Tottenham lingering down in mid-table, and Pep Guardiola’s men running away with the league, if Kane is finding the net at his current rate in North London, imagine the damage he could be doing at the Etihad?

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Newcastle United man has been speaking about Tottenham Hotspur and their reported interest in Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Florian Neuhaus.

Spurs have been linked with the German international in recent weeks, and he has been touted as someone who could potentially replace Dele Alli at the North London club, should he complete a loan move to PSG before next Monday’s deadline.

The 23-year-old has been solid in the Bundesliga so far this season, having contributed three goals and four assists in 17 appearances, which has seen him average a 6.94 rating.

He was also superb in Marco Rose’s side’s Champions League group stage matches, averaging a 7.28 rating across his six appearances in Europe’s most prestigious club competition, so it is no surprise that sides such as Spurs, Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich are taking an interest in the young midfielder.

Here’s what Lee had to say about Neuhaus when speaking exclusively to FFC:

“He’s a great player. He gets forward and scores goals. Maybe Dele’s going to go in the summer, which he probably should do. Maybe he could be a replacement for Alli.”

As Lee suggests, Neuhaus is developing a reputation for scoring goals from midfield, having now scored five goals in all competitions this season.

He has also managed six assists in that time, which means he is closing in on the nine goals and six assists Alli managed in all competitions last season, despite Neuhaus playing much more as a box-to-box midfielder.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-and-rumours” title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours, injury latest and more!”]

Should Alli join PSG on loan this month, or leave in the summer, Spurs may need to bring in a goalscoring threat to replace him, with only Tanguy Ndombele having scored more than once in the Premier League of Mourinho’s central midfield options this season.

Therefore, it seems as if the £25.2 million-rated man would be a strong addition to Mourinho’s side both now and for the long-term future, although Daniel Levy will have to see off some serious competition if he wants to bring him to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

And, in other news… Forget Di Maria: Levy can sign Jose a goalscoring winger; he won’t cost a penny

Wolves have endured a diabolical period over the last couple of months.

Since Raul Jimenez suffered a fractured skull against Arsenal in November, they have won just four games.

Meanwhile, Nuno Santo’s men have kept only a solitary clean sheet in the Premier League since October. Fortunately, they returned to form in midweek.

It was a bizarre game of football as the Gunners had two players sent off and also conceded a penalty. Though, Wolves won’t care. All that mattered was returning to winning ways and they did that.

Though, there is no rest for the Old Gold who will face the visit of Leicester on Sunday. The Foxes have been sublime this term and heading into the weekend’s fixtures sat in third place.

So, how will Nuno choose to line-up?

With injuries plaguing Wolves at the moment, we’re tipping the manager to make just two changes to his team.

Jonny, Marcal and Rayan Ait-Nouri all missed out against Arsenal in midweek and it feels unlikely they’ll be fit enough this weekend.

Nuno revealed that the squad had injury troubles in his pre-match press conference before Daniel Podence took to social media on Saturday evening to claim he’d miss the next five to six weeks of action.

Consequently, the £90k-per-week Leander Dendoncker returns to the side.

He missed out against Arsenal with a midfield pairing of Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves preferred. The former has been in poor form this term but scored his first goal of the campaign in emphatic fashion against the Gunners. He crashed home a long-range strike and thus, has to start alongside fellow goal scorer from that encounter, Neves.

Despite their problems at full-back, we think that Nelson Semedo should drop out. He’s been letting his team down for weeks and was at fault for Nicolas Pepe’s opening strike against Arsenal a few days ago.

Offensively, Semedo is vibrant, but when it comes to the defensive part of his game there are clear frailties, particularly in terms of physical strength. With that in mind, Ki-Jana Hoever could come into the XI.

We also reckon that the boss will favour Willian Jose ahead of Fabio Silva again in attack.

AND in other news, Wolves could finally axe Moutinho by signing “intelligent” £13m gem Keogh once bullied…

According to Sky Sports, Arsenal are interested in signing Real Madrid starlet Martin Odegaard on loan in this January transfer window.

What’s the story?

After making significant moves already in trying to reduce the club’s bloated wage bill – the likes of Sokratis and Sead Kolasinac have left, and Mesut Ozil is set to follow – Mikel Arteta’s side have turned their attentions towards reinforcing their squad.

And, as per Sky Sports, the Gunners have made an approach to bring Odegaard on a loan deal until the end of the Premier League season, and that the Madrid board are considering their proposal right now.

The report adds that the Norway international expects to be able to leave the Bernabeu this month in a bid to get more first-team football, but that Arsenal are likely to face strong competition from Real Sociedad.

Perfect replacement for Ozil

The January transfer window is always a difficult one to do major business, with clubs understandably reluctant to let some of their most important players go mid-way through a campaign.

It’s one of the reported difficulties Arsenal have faced in trying to sign Norwich City’s Emiliano Buendia, with the Canaries of course battling for automatic promotion back to the Premier League this season.

It’s exactly why a short-term deal for Odegaard would be an Edu masterclass. It would give the Gunners an extra option in that number ten role and ease some of the creative burden on Emile Smith Rowe, whilst also making sure that if it doesn’t work out, they can just wave goodbye to him in the summer and focus on their priority transfer targets.

Described as a “phenomenon” by Norwegian football writer, Lars Sivertsen, Odegaard is a creative play-maker who appears to be tailor-made to come in and replace Ozil.

Spanish football journalist, Alvaro Montero, said: “He’s an extremely good player. He’s very similar to Mesut Ozil, he’s left-footed, he plays extremely well between the lines and between the striker and the midfielders. Maybe he even has more goal threat than Mesut Ozil, but he travels a little less. He’s an amazing player and I think he’ll be an amazing player for Arsenal and for Mikel Arteta.”

The Gunners must surely try and get this deal done.

Meanwhile, Arsenal must sell this £90k-p/w disaster…

This has been a testing period for Leeds United.

After being utterly dispatched by Manchester United at Old Trafford, they bounced back brilliantly versus Burnley.

They showed various qualities that were lacking against United, demonstrating desire, togetherness and most importantly, solidity.

Goalkeeper Illan Meslier kept a clean sheet, one they can take immense pride from given Liam Cooper, Robin Koch and Diego Llorente were all out injured.

After winning, will Marcelo Bielsa make any changes? Given how much football they’re having to play at the moment it could be a distinct possibility. Here’s how we reckon Leeds should line-up when they face West Brom on Tuesday evening.

The first thing to note is that Leeds are likely to play a similar sort of formation to the one we saw at Elland Road a matter of days ago.

That means that Pascal Struijk, Kalvin Phillips and Luke Ayling make up a three-man backline once again. Llorente picked up an injury setback after returning to training last week and consequently, will miss this game.

That being said, we think that Bielsa should make as many as three changes for the clash with the Baggies. The first one to note is the return of Pablo Hernandez. Mateusz Klich was a source of frustration against the Clarets, hitting a number of attempts at goal off target. We know Hernandez can dominate against this type of opposition so he deserves a rare start.

We also think that Jack Harrison needs a rest. The Manchester City loanee has been playing at full throttle this term and after his poor day in front of goal a few days ago, needs to be taken out of the team in favour of Helder Costa.

The final change we’re tipping might be a bit of a stretch but we’ve been crying out for Leif Davis to play on the left-hand side for a few weeks. Against weaker opposition, now seems like the ideal chance to give him his first Premier League start.

Only time will tell whether Bielsa does opt for this XI.

AND in other news, Forget Traore: Leeds must swoop for “explosive” outcast who BULLIED Alioski this year…

According to The Liverpool Echo, Everton are reportedly looking to offload long-term Glasgow Rangers target Muhamed Besic in January.

What’s the word?

Besic joined Sheffield United on loan from Everton in the summer of 2019, with Chris Wilder’s side having an option to buy.

But the Blades decided against signing him on a permanent basis and he returned to his parent club after his loan spell expired last year.

The Bosnia international was heavily linked with a loan move to Ibrox during the extended summer transfer window.

While a move never materialised, it looks like Rangers could potentially have another opportunity to make a move for the out-of-favour midfielder, who has been deemed surplus to requirements by Carlo Ancelotti at Goodison Park.

Imagine Besic and Glen Kamara

Steven Gerrard’s Gers are well-stocked in the midfield after Ross Wilson brought in Bongani Zungu on an initial loan deal from French Ligue 2 side Amiens before the close of play on transfer deadline day.

However, there were no other additions to the midfield despite the departures of Greg Docherty, Jason Holt and Jordan Rossiter in the summer.

This means that Gerrard still has six options for three positions at least until the transfer market closes at the end of January, with Zungu, Steven Davis, Scott Arfield, Ryan Jack, Joe Aribo and Glen Kamara competing for three places behind the likes of Alfredo Morelos, Kemar Roofe and Cedric Itten.

However, Arfield and Jack are currently out injured, and an injury or coronavirus crisis could quickly cause some unnecessary problems, so perhaps the Ibrox boss may feel inclined to dip into the market, and he ought to do so especially with Besic now available.

The £1.8m-rated 28-year-old, who typically plays as a defensive midfielder but can also play as a centre-back or right-back, previously scored three goals and supplied six assists in 56 appearances across all competitions for Middlesbrough, via Transfermarkt. Whilst he is fully capable of slotting into place alongside the likes of Arfield and Kamara, his versatility could prove to be an added bonus.

Roberto Martinez was effusive in his praise for his former charge back in 2014 as he was quoted as saying: “He is a character who is an out-and-out Everton player.

“He can become a big legend for Everton but he is a character who is still developing and working. Sometimes you forget he is only 22, but when you the bravery and wanting to do the right things it is impressive.

“I love those sort of characters – reliable. You can build strong teams around those characters.”

This strength of character would be most welcome in the Govan side of Glasgow and to be able to snap up a player with proven Premier League experience for a snip of a price is surely a no-brainer at this stage.

AND in other news, Steve Parish must sanction Crystal Palace swoop for Jason Knight as a James McCarthy alternative…

Celtic are set to go head-to-head with another European club to sign Philadelphia Union defender Mark McKenzie, according to reports.

Battle for McKenzie begins

According to Belgian newspaper Het Beland van Limburg (28/12 print edition, Sports page 8), Genk will look to acquire the services of the United States international in January.

They added that Blauw-Wit manager John van den Brom has confirmed that their defensive area is where they need to strengthen, with Celtic named as one of the clubs battling the Belgians for McKenzie.

Valued at £3.6m (TransferMarkt), the 21-year-old has scored twice from 59 appearances for Union and came through the ranks at the MLS side, and his form helped him to secure his debut for the national team earlier in the year.

With Shane Duffy being heavily scrutinised since his loan move from Premier League side Brighton, there could be an opportunity for the Bhoys to strengthen their defensive unit with young talent.

Transfer Tavern Verdict

McKenzie can play in any position in central defence and can also be utilised as a left-back if required. This is the sort of versatility that Neil Lennon needs in his team.

Celtic have shipped 14 goals this season, in comparison to Rangers’ five, and are 16 points off the pace to their nearest rivals (Fotmob).

With this in mind, Lennon needs to invest in his backline if wants any chance of winning 10-in-a-row and must convince chairman Peter Lawwell to do so.

In other news, Journalist criticises Celtic youngster in bizarre tirade following recent development.

Following Man City’s 1-1 draw at home to West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday night, a result which means more dropped points in the Premier League, many Sky Blues ripped into one man after they couldn’t squeeze a last-gasp winner past Slaven Bilic’s side – with Benjamin Mendy at the centre of criticism from these supporters. 

Mendy, who started last night in place of usual makeshift left-back Joao Cancelo as the Portuguese was placed on the right, had been putting in some noteworthy performances recently – with the Frenchman scoring his first Premier League goal during a 5-0 romp at home to Burnley at the end of November.

The defender also played against Fulham as manager Pep Guardiola seems to call upon him regularly – appearing above fellow full-back option Oleksandr Zinchenko in the pecking order.

However, with the absence of his usual overlaps and powerful left-footed balls into the box on Tuesday evening, Mendy cut a largely ineffective figure – with Guardiola swapping him for Kyle Walker late on.

Criticising his performance, here’s what Sky Blues had to say on social media – find all of their verdicts down below.

Man City fans hammer Mendy

In other news: Man City fans buzzed over this ‘great news’, find out more here.

The Premier League may have breached confidentiality law by confirming their legal dispute with Newcastle United with regards to the failed takeover at St. James’ Park.

The Shields Gazette have reported that, according to sources, by confirming that the top flight are in a legal dispute with the Tyneside club, that represents an alleged breach of the confidentiality of the Magpies, with both said to be bound by privacy on the matter now that the case is actually running.

The confirmation by England’s highest division is also understood to have angered many close to the proposed £300m deal between Mike Ashley and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium.

The confirmation from the EPL was revealed in an official statement by the Newcastle Consortium Supporters Ltd (NCSL) that in turn was confirmed to The Shields Gazette.

When contacted by the news outlet, the Premier League refused to comment on the matter.

What does this mean for the Newcastle takeover?

Indeed, this means that the legal dispute between the Toon and the English top flight is likely to be taken to a court case if it cannot be settled by the two parties involved.

Ashley may possibly already have top lawyers Nick De Marco QC and Shaheed Fatima QC on standby to represent the chief executive of Sports Direct in court and it feels fair to predict the CEO of England’s highest division, Richard Masters, will already have his own army of lawyers at the ready too.

Nonetheless, the Premier League may have dug themselves a hole already if they are found to have breached the confidentiality law.

In other news, find out which key figure is concerned about one development in the takeover saga here!

Sunderland striker Aiden O’Brien offered an invisible display as he led Phil Parkinson’s attack in a 2-1 defeat to Fleetwood Town in the Papa John’s Trophy on Tuesday night.

Parkinson rang the changes once more after bowing out of the FA Cup to Mansfield Town at the weekend, as the Black Cats boss turned to youth after already securing the Stadium of Light natives’ progression through to the EFL Trophy Round of 32.

O’Brien, 27, was the eldest member of the starting Sunderland line-up at Highbury, where the forward was joined by 26-year-olds Callum McFadzean and Jordan Willis, plus 22-year-old George Dobson, as the only visiting players aged over 21.

Former Millwall striker O’Brien could not utilise his years of experience to Parkinson’s benefit, however, as the Black Cats boss witnessed his summer arrival fail to build on his sole Sunderland effort to date – coming in an 8-1 demolition of Aston Villa’s U23s in the EFL Trophy.

Parkinson was delighted to have brought O’Brien to the Stadium of Light this summer, capturing the former Republic of Ireland international on a free transfer following his release by Championship side Millwall.

O’Brien was the first of the Sunderland boss’ arrivals during the off-season, and left Parkinson believing he had acquired a player keen to join the Black Cats for the right reasons.

“We’re really pleased with the signing of Aiden,” said Parkinson, via quotes by the Chronicle. “He’s a good age, he’s been promoted from League One before and he has experience playing Championship football.

“His hunger and desire to come and join us was key for me. I want players to come here for the right reasons and get ready to fight tooth and nail to help us have a great season. He has a real eagerness to be part of this club and he can’t wait to get started.”

But O’Brien’s hunger and desire was not on show at Highbury, as the forward’s pressure could not force the Fleetwood backline into creating opportunities for the five-time international to score.

O’Brien participated for the full 90 minutes at Fleetwood on Tuesday night yet could only register a single shot on Alex Cairns’ goal, though did not see his strike force the Fisherman’s goalkeeper into action with the effort marked as off-target by SofaScore.

Their data also shows the 27-year-old, who scored 44 goals and recorded 16 assists in 226 career appearances for Millwall, failed to play any key balls from a mere 10 accurate passes, while failing to complete his only attempted dribble, was caught offside twice and lost possession six times.

O’Brien further lost six of his eight attempted aerial contests and two of his six ground duels, committed one foul and penned fewer touches (27) than all Fleetwood players who started.

The forward’s efforts will have left a far from pleasing impression on Parkinson, who has only felt fit to start the London-born forward in four League One fixtures thus far.

AND in other news, Phil Parkinson has confirmed a major blow for a Sunderland gem he begged to “let his football do the talking”.